Harry Potter and the Betrayer's Hat
by DavidLopan
Summary: Harry Potter is back at Hogwarts and death is coming to everyone he loves and hates. Can he stop the culprit before he loses everyone? Please review!
1. Harry's Silence

Harry Potter and the Betrayer's Hat

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is all due to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter One

Harry studied Hermione closely.

"I told you, it's not true!" she said.

"Why can't you believe me?"

Harry was silent. From his years at the Dursleys' he had discovered that silence was often the best weapon.

"Say something!" Hermione was beginning to cry.

Harry said nothing, but turned and walked away.

"Harry! Please!" Hermione completely broke down into tears.

Back in the Gryffindor common room, Harry waged a war in his heart.

"Harry, you just got to let these things go," Ron said.

"She's doing what she thinks is right."

"It won't do any good to sit up here brooding all day."

"Besides, it's lunch-time. I'm starving!"

Harry said nothing.

"Look, I'm going to go eat. I think you should come with me."

Harry looked away.

"I understand what you're feeling. You just can't let this get to you."

"I'll be down in the Great Hall. Join me if you want."

Ron left Harry alone to stare outside the window at the pale gray clouds and thick fog that permeated the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was a cold, windy day. The morning rain had left large puddles on the ground and the water was still running off the tops of the buildings. Harry was angry and alone.

Eventually, Harry made his way down past all the sullen Slytherins to the Great Hall for a late lunch. He could see Hermione and Ron sitting together. They appeared to be gazing at each other. Ron obviously wasn't waiting for Harry anymore.

Harry ate alone at the Hufflepuff table. He listened to them chatting about Cho like they knew her. Harry knew better though.

"Hi, Harry" said Maryann Gilbert, a Hufflepuff first year, "I bet you feel pretty bad, huh?"

Harry did his best to act as if he didn't hear her. She just stared at him waiting for an answer. Eventually she got up and left, leaving him to his own sinking despair.

Harry chewed his food slowly and methodically and tried to focus on eating. Nothing tasted good to him. He glanced back over at Ron and Hermione who were still talking and then over to the empty Ravenclaw table. He could still feel his broomstick in his hands, racing towards the Golden Snitch. He could feel himself losing control of his broom. He tried frantically to dispel the image from his mind but failed.

He got up from the table, pushed his chair in and slowly walked back up to the Common Room. On the way back, he was met with looks of pity and sorrow and then disdain and mistrust. Harry didn't care.

Hermione stopped him on the stairs.

"Harry, I need to talk to you. We have got to work this out."

Harry stared at her with total contempt.

"Harry, I _have_ to do this."

Harry answered her in silent disgust.

"Look, you can take this however you want, but tomorrow I'm getting on the Hogwarts Express with or without your consent!"

Hermione stormed off towards the Girls Dormitory.

Harry thought about what she just told him. Tomorrow could be the very last day that they could see each other. He met Ron back in his dorm room.

"Harry, I'm going to brush my teeth," said Ron.

Harry was too busy thinking about Hermione to hear him. They'd both come so far. They'd fought the Death Eaters together. He saved her life and she had saved his. Had their friendship come down to this moment? There was no way he was going to let her leave. He didn't care about her reasons. He had to tell her how he felt.

Harry slipped on his invisibility cloak and quietly left the dormitory. He quickly made his way up to Hermione's room. He was about to go in when he heard her talking to Ron.

"But Hermione, I'll always love you," Ron said.

"Can we ever be together?" Hermione asked.

"Yes we can, but you have to go with the Malfoys and repay your debt."

When Harry heard those words, he burst through the door.

"Expelia—"

"Harry, don't!" Hermione shouted.

"How dare you send her away!" Harry yelled. "Ron, get away from her."

"Harry, you don't know what you're doing" Ron pleaded.

Harry had his want pointed squarely at Ron's chest.


	2. The Window

Chapter Two

"I told you to get away from her." Harry was fuming.

"She killed Draco Malfoy! She has to go!" Ron pleaded. "She has to repay the debt."

"He's right, Harry. I have to pay for my mistake. The Malfoys have the right to own me for fifteen years—it's just the way things are! You just don't understand!" Hermione cried. "Draco died! He died a horrible, painful death, Harry! I must do this!"

Harry looked at her. He looked down at the ground. He looked back up at her and quickly threw the invisibility cloak back over his head. He was gone.

"Harry!" they both shouted.

Harry tried to block their cries from his ears. He sunk down into a corner of the common room hidden under his cloak. He didn't want to hear them. He didn't want to understand why she had to go. Didn't she care about him at all? Didn't she realize the she was the most important person to him? Now she was going away to live as the Malfoys' slave. She had to repay the Malfoys for taking the life of their son. _Draco deserved it_, Harry thought to himself.

Since Cho had died, Harry tried to find comfort in talking to Hermione. Harry missed Cho Chang though—she was his Quidditch rival and equal. They had enjoyed many dances together and many good talks over butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Harry started to remember her face again. He remembered that Quidditch match. The horror of what happened was all coming back to him again….

He remembered going for the Snitch. Cho Chang was after it, too. She was racing towards it. Harry bolted to get there first. He remembered how much faster he seemed to be going than other times. The thrill was intoxicating. He remembered how close he was to the Snitch and to Cho. Cho was headed straight for him. He was headed straight for the Snitch. He tried to veer off, but he was going to fast and his broom wasn't responding. He smashed right into Cho. For a split second, Harry saw that his broom had perforated the left side of her ribcage. He fell off his broom, but was saved by Dumbledore before he hit the ground. Cho was still being carried by the momentum of Harry's broomstick lodged in her body. Madame Hooch had stopped his broomstick and Cho was rushed to the hospital wing, but it was too late.

She was dead before they got her on the ground.

Harry had lived with that daily vision for over a month. The students had always been cold and distant, but were now barely associating with him. They didn't mock him or taunt him anymore; now, they barely acknowledged his existence.

Hermione, too, was shunned. Everywhere she went she was met with more distrust and fear than Harry had ever experienced. The students still remembered the accident in potion class….

Draco was up to his usual malicious tricks and called Hermione a Mudblood in front of the whole class. Harry remembered her storming over to Malfoy's cauldron and engaged them in a very animated argument. Professor Snape ordered her to returrn to her seat. A few seconds later, Malfoy's potion appeared to "leap" onto Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. They only seemed confused and angry at first, but then they started screaming in terror. Malfoy's potion had changed to a dirty greenish color. Malfoy was screaming about his hands burning and then his legs. The green substance looked like it was turning them all into steam! In just a few seconds, all three had completely dissolved and wafted out the door, totally gone from all existence. All that remained was their clothes.

Dumbledore soon arrived, but he was too late to be of any help. Snape was questioned, but Hermione came forth right away saying that Draco had asked her to bring Lethifold extract to class for some fun. She told Snape and Dumbledore that she didn't know what would happen.

Later on that day when the Aurors arrived, they questioned Hermione for a long time. She told them she was innocent. The Aurors had no proof otherwise and they told her she was free to go…

Somehow Harry's and Hermione's similar predicaments pushed them together. Mere friendship was replaced by something stronger. Hermione, at least in part, filled the hole in Harry's heart left by Cho….

Harry's mind came back to the common room where he was crouched in the corner. The room was empty. The fire was still blazing and the empty room was warm. Harry glanced at the time. It was 4:30 am. He quietly went back to Hermione's room. He found her packing her belongings.

"Harry," she said, much to his surprise, "I know you are there. Do you think we could have spent so much time together and I wouldn't feel your presence?"

Harry shook his head and took off his invisibility cloak.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you," Harry said.

"You will never have me. Did you know?" Hermione said sharply. "You think you were in love with Cho. But I'm the only one who knows the true Harry Potter." She paused. "You know that I'm right about this, Harry; and you will never have me no matter how much you want it. You know about Ron and I, don't you. You know it is him I love, not you. You know we are going to be together."

"Hermione…" Harry whispered.

Ron stepped out from the shadows. He was smiling.

"You've lost this time, Harry. This is the one thing that you will never have over me. This time, I beat the famous Harry Potter! You think you are so special. Everyone loves you because everyone thinks you defeated You-Know-Who. Well guess what? I don't care about any of that! You're an orphan. You'll always be a ruddy orphan!"

"Stop it, Ron!" Harry shouted.

"Who's going to make me?"

"I said STOP IT!"

"Your parents? What are they going to do? They're de-"

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted.

Hermione screamed.

Harry's spell hit Ron squarely in the chest and punched him through Hermione's stained glass window. Harry ran over to the window where Ron had just fallen. Ron was screaming as he tumbled down the side of Gryffindor Tower, hitting the large gargoyles and stone carvings as he fell. He landed with a low thud that sent Harry's mind spinning. As he began to lose consciousness, he could hear Hermione saying, "Don't worry, Harry, I'll claim it was all in self defense. You'll be fine…."


	3. Hidden Schemes

Chapter Three

Harry awoke in the medical wing. Madame Pomfrey was sitting next to him dabbing his forehead with a moist towel.

"Well, good afternoon Mr. Potter. How are you feeling?"

Harry didn't answer.

"It sounds like you had quite the night. I'm sure Hermione is very glad you showed up when you did. What a brave boy you are, checking up on Ms. Granger when you thought something was amiss. We need more students like you, Mr. Potter."

"Where is Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Oh, well, the Malfoys came and got her this morning. She didn't look too sad about leaving. She does owe them for the death of Draco."

"She's gone!" Harry yelled.

Harry was outraged. He ran out of the medical wing and back up the Gryffindor tower. He thought about what she said. He knew that she was right. He had always loved her, but for one reason or another, she was always taken away from him. Only now, Harry was truly alone.

Weeks later Harry was sitting at lunch looking at the two empty chairs where Ron and Hermione used to sit. As he was eating, Hedwig dropped him a letter. There was a fancy 'M' on the front in shiny green ink. He opened it.

My Dear Harry:

I just wanted to tell you that I am fine here. I have made my peace with the Malfoys. They are, for the most part, kind to me, despite my Muggle heritage. Please try to forget about me. We will not see each other for fifteen years.

Sincerely,

Hermione Granger

PS: I know I'm right about you.

Harry closed the letter. He was brimming with anger. He thought about Cho. He thought about Hermione. He thought about Ron.

After classes that day, Harry went back to his room and waited till after dark. As usual, he slipped on his cloak and made his way to Hermione's old room. Dumbledore had closed it off for future residents so everything was just as it was when she left. McGonagall had repaired the window, and Hermione didn't take much with her. Harry imagined she was to have all new clothes while in the Malfoys service. He had rummaged through her belongings so many times before. But this time, as he was leaving, he stubbed his toe on something. Harry bent down to see that a corner of a floorboard was sticking up. It was loose.

Harry lifted up the floorboard. To his complete puzzlement he found a pensieve. Whose could this be? Was this Hermione's? He put the pensieve on the end table and began to lower his head into it. Slowly the world transformed around him. He was sitting on a shiny black leather couch. The walls were green and Malfoy was sitting next to him. Harry recognized the Slytherin Common Room. He had been in there previously, but only once… And Hermione was there too! She was chatting with Malfoy. What was she doing here? Harry listened to them.

"Do you really think is going to work?" Draco asked.

"Of course it's going to work," Hermione said. "I've planned out every last detail."

"So when does all this happen?"

"That's a good question, Draco; let me think. If you were going to try to kill a star Quidditch player during a Quidditch match, when do you think it'd happen?" Hermione asked bitterly.

"Oh, right you are then" said Draco sheepishly.

"I think we need to go over this one more time" Hermione said, annoyed. "Do you even remember who we're trying kill?"

"I know who it is. It's that Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang.'

"And do you know how we are going to do it?"

"Yes. By enchanting the brooms with extra speed and then bewitching them while they are in mid flight."

"Do you know your part?"

"You said all I have to do is keep Cho headed straight and you'll take care of the rest."

"That's right. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to bed."

Hermione was halfway out the door when Draco called, "Hermione, you know I'm crazy about you, don't you?"

"I know."

Harry was shocked. Here was his worst enemy and his best friend crafting a plan together to kill Cho as if they were talking about the weather!

The scene changed to a Quidditch match. He was sitting next to Hermione who was staring straight at the Harry playing Quidditch and muttering some incantations. Harry recognized it instantly from his own haunting memories. He knew exactly what was going to happen. He looked up and saw himself collide with Cho in mid-air. He saw himself get knocked off his broom and tumble toward the ground only to be saved by Dumbledore. He saw his own broom skewer Cho, pulling her off her broom and fly toward the Gryffindor goal. He saw Madame Hooch chase after her and bring her to the ground. Cho was already dead. Hermione let out a quiet chuckle, but then shrieked in horror like everyone else.

The environment changed once again. He was now in the Restricted Section of the library with Hermione. It was very dark outside. She was studying something very closely, and muttering to herself about something. There was a signed permission slip from Professor Trewlaney on the table and something that looked like a short love letter from Draco. Harry could see she was reading about potions and had the potions class itinerary in front of her. She was making a list of ingredients.

"Lethifold extract is it?" she said softly.

"I know who has some of that!" she added happily.

Harry, surprised, followed her back to the his own dormitory. She had crept past himself and Ron, who were playing wizards chess in the common room and were too lost in thought to notice her. Once in Harry's room, she took his invisibility cloak, put in over herself, and walked out of the Common Room. Harry continued to follow her down to the lower levels of Hogwarts. She made her way to Snape's office. It was locked, but Hermione knew how to get through his charms and hexes. Once inside, she went straight for the cupboard marked "DANGER, KEEP OUT!" The bottle of lethifold extract was filled with a swirling greenish mist. It appeared to be somewhat alive. She gave the bottle a quick shake, and the bottle shook back. Harry followed Hermione back to her room where she began creating a potion that would react with the potion scheduled for Thursday's class. After she made it, she poured the lethifold extract into the vial. It voiced a small scream as it left its old bottle for a new home.

Hermione chuckled and whispered to the bottle, "I'll be using you in two days!" With that she tucked the bottle inside her robes.

The next scene in the pensieve was that horrible day in Potions Class. Draco was calling Hermione a Mudblood and taunting her. Harry saw her get up out of her chair and storm over to Draco, just as he remembered. But this time he saw that as she was arguing and waving her arms around, she dropped the open vial of lethifold extract into his cauldron. She then went back to her seat. Harry waited by Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. The potion jumped right onto them, just like he remembered. He watched it vaporize them. He watched whatever was left of them waft out the door and up the stairs, ultimately dissipating.

Harry pulled himself out the pensieve and sat on Hermione's bed and thought about what he had just seen. Hermione killed Cho Chang with Draco Malfoy's help, then later killed Draco and his friends? What would cause her to do anything like that?

Harry slipped his cloak back on. He needed to think. He needed someplace quiet. He left the common room and went upstairs. He kept going up and down stairs until he came to a door. He went inside and was at once greeted by the familiar yet whiney voice of Moaning Myrtle.

"Well well well, if it isn't Harry Potter. I haven't seen you up here in a long time."

"Hi, Myrtle."

"Hi? Is that all you have to say? You haven't been up here in years." She threw a punch at Harry's arm but it passed right through him. "You told me you would visit me. You said you wouldn't forget about me. And now that you've lost all your friends and you're all alone, the only thing you can say to me is hi?"

"Sorry, Myrtle," Harry said wearily. "It's been a long day."

Harry stared at the ground. He felt awkward talking to Myrtle. He did tell her before that he would visit her all the time.

"So." Myrtle said.

"So--what?"

"What do you want from me?" Myrtle asked bluntly.

"I just came up here to think about what has happened to me…." Harry's voice trailed off.

"And maybe ask you if you could help me figure this out," he added hopefully.

"I know what you need Harry," Myrtle said. "You need to forget your living friends. Just forget about your flesh family. Forget about that Hermione girl. She doesn't love you. She'll never love you. She's living with the Malfoys. She's already forgotten all about you. You won't see her again.

"I can love you. I do love you. For years, I've waited for someone like you. Your life is in your hands, Harry. End it. We could be together forever. Use your wand on yourself." Myrtle did her best to sound seductive.

"Why are you telling me this" Harry asked.

"Because I'm the only one who cares about you, Harry. Because I'm the only one who has any real feelings for you. Can't you see this?" Myrtle began to cry.

"Myrtle…" Harry said softly. "It would never work between us. Don't you understand? I'm not dead yet. I don't want to be dead yet."

"Well nobody gave me that choice!" Myrtle snapped.

"I'm sorry, Myrtle. I don't know what to say."

"That's ok, Harry. I didn't think I could turn you, anyway."

"Myrtle, I…"

"You need to go down there again." As she said this she motioned to the large sink in the middle of the bathroom that could open up into the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

"Down there? There's nothing down there anymore. It's empty."

"No. It's not. It's down there."

"What's down there?" Harry asked.

"You've seen it before. It can help you," Myrtle said.

Harry looked at the sink. He had been down there before. He fought against the Heir of Slytherin down there and narrowly escaped with his life. He didn't like the thought of going down there again.

"If you go down there, you will find what you seek." With that, Myrtle vanished into a puff of smoke.

Harry was once again alone. He stared at the entrance to the Chamber. What was down there?

* * *

A/N: Reviews are welcome! 


	4. An Unpleasant Encounter

Chapter Four

"OK, Myrtle!" Harry yelled. "You win—I'm going down!"

Harry took out his wand.

"Lumos." The tip of his wand began to glow.

He spoke in Parseltongue and the sink began to slowly open. Harry jumped into the void that led to the Chamber. He began to slide down. It was dark, but he could tell he was moving very fast.

Harry hit the bottom with a thud. He immediately brought his wand up. If the Basilisk was gone, did that mean that the spiders had returned to the Chamber? He started to panic.

He made his way to the inner sanctum. He moved slowly and very cautiously, quickly turning around if he heard anything. It was very quiet. Disturbingly quiet.

Harry finally came to the inner sanctum—the actual place he had killed the Basilisk. He remembered seeing Fawkes flying in with the sorting hat. He shuddered as if feeling the Basilisk fang go into his arm again.

He then saw something that he did not expect—a glimmer caught the corner of his eye. Off in the shadows, he could see something. He moved closer to whatever it was. Holding his wand up, he began to make out a shape. It was a mirror.

Harry pulled the mirror out into what little light was in the room. Harry lit some of the torches with a quick spell, and with this additional light he quickly recognized the mirror. It was the Mirror of Erised.

"I haven't seen you in a while," he said aloud to the mirror.

Harry peered into the mirror. In his first year he had seen his family standing around him, but now he saw many things flash before him. He saw Hermione. He saw images of Ron and him fighting the mountain troll. He saw himself riding Buckbeak, and Sirius, his godfather. He saw Hermione. Over and over again, Hermione. Himself and Hermione at the Christmas Ball. Walking in moonlight with Hermione across the snowy grounds of Hogwarts. Having ice cream with Hermione at Florean Fortescue's in Diagon Alley.

"Why do I keep seeing you?" Harry asked. The mirror was silent, but something in the Chamber was not. Harry began to hear strange tapping noises. There was no rhythm to the taps, but they were getting louder. Harry held his wand up. He saw nothing.

Something was extinguishing the torches as the tapping grew louder. Still, Harry could see nothing.

"Lumos maxima," he said. The sudden flare of light showed the source of the tapping, but he instantly wished he hadn't seen it.

The spiders had come to the Chamber, and they were everywhere. They were crawling on the walls and on the ceiling. There were some so large that they reached the ceiling, and some were the size of small elephants. More were coming up out of the water and emerging from the shadows. They were surrounding him and he was alone in the dark at the very bottom the Chamber of Secrets.

The spiders stopped moving. Everything became eerily silent. The spiders that were closest to him moved to one side and he could see a spider was coming forward. The spider that came to the front was not a large spider, but it looked like it had seen many battles. It had a broken mandible and was missing a joint on one of its many legs.

"Harry." The spider addressed him with a high raspy voice. "Harry, you shouldn't have come here. We let you get away in the forest, but once again you come looking for us.'

"Who are you?" Harry asked nervously.

"My name is unpronounceable in human tongue" the spider said in its raspy voice. "I am Aragog's eldest son."

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked, still very much afraid.

"The question is, what are _you _doing here, but since you asked me, I will tell you. Aragog told us to let you escape. This caused many of us to question Aragog's ability to function as our meat-giver. He is old. I feared for my children's future in the forest. Meat was scarce. The giant that now lives in the forest has scared much of our food away. The centaurs take whatever is left. Very little arrives so deep in the forest anymore. I took whatever family would follow me and we began entering the Chamber in hopes of finding food and shelter. I feel I should tell you that we have not been so fortunate." The spider paused. "So that brings us to you, Harry."

The spider paused as if waiting for Harry to speak.

"I…I…" Harry stammered. "I came down here at the suggestion of a ghost named Moaning Myrtle. She said I would find what I was looking for."

The spider made more raspy sounds, this time in its own language. At once the congregation of spiders began to move closer to Harry.

"And did you find what you were looking for?" the spider asked.

"Yes, I did."

Once again the spider started talking to the others and they inched closer still. Harry thought about his warm four-poster bed and wished that he were there.

"Harry, I'm sorry you have come here."

Harry began to back up.

"This is the end of your journey."

The spiders were making horrible screeching sounds. Harry began to panic.

"Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony."

The spiders continued to move towards him, slow but menacing, as Harry backed away. One of the smaller spiders suddenly lunged at him from the side. Harry tried to jump away, but fell backward, hitting his head on something hard. Looking up, he saw the ceiling in his dorm room—half of his body had fallen into the mirror! He could still see his lower half inside the Chamber of Secrets and all the spiders were converging on it. He frantically pulled his feet towards him and as soon as they passed through the frame of the mirror, the Chamber, the spiders and mirror disappeared completely with a small pop.

Harry got up shakily and sat down on his bed, trying to get the images of the spiders out of his head. After his last disastrous encounter with them, he had been fully prepared to never see them again, and he just ended up facing them a second time.

Harry was almost more shocked to see how much Hermione permeated his thoughts. The mirror showed them doing things that never happened. He remembered seeing Hermione at the dance. He'd wanted to dance with her. He'd wanted to hold her hand. But why hadn't his feelings changed now in light of Hermione's treachery?

Harry lay down and went to sleep.

* * *

A/N: This story is suffering from a strange phenomenon: plenty of readers and a lack of reviews. Thus far it's just been give give give on my part and not a lot of getting. So take a moment and hit that little "review" button. To paraphrase everyone's favorite werewolf, if you don't, I shall know!   



	5. The Plan

Chapter Five: The Plan

Harry woke up the next morning and didn't feel at all rested. He looked around his room. He felt groggy and tired. He went down to breakfast, and was shunned and avoided by the students and staff. Harry didn't care. He didn't go to his classes at all, but no teachers inquired about him. At last he went up to his room.

Harry stared out his window for hours, watching the clouds go by overhead, casting shadows on the grounds. He watched the owls flying in and out of Hogwarts. He hadn't seen Hedwig for weeks, but wasn't worried. She was a resourceful bird. Harry sank deeper and deeper into despair. His scar hurt on occasion, but it was nothing like the old burning sensation. Now it just throbbed all the time like it had been hit with a hammer. He continued to stare out of his window, thinking of Hermione.

Days became weeks. Weeks became almost two months. Harry rarely went to class. He almost never ate. He spent time in the library and his room. No one bothered him. Even the staff was wary of him.

Night came to Hogwarts, and Harry left his room for the common room. The few students who remained there quickly packed up their books and ran off to their rooms, carefully avoiding eye contact with him. The common room was empty again. He drank some of leftover pumpkin juice that one of the students had just opened before Harry appeared. It was cold. Like his heart.

Harry turned around to go back to his room. He practically fell over when he saw who was standing in the doorway.

"Hello, Harry."

Harry mouthed one word: "Hermione." Harry ran to her, but stopped himself a foot away. "What are you doing here, Hermione?"

She didn't say anything, but looked at him with strange seductiveness in her eyes.

"I found your Pensieve. I watched you kill those people," Harry said.

Hermione strolled around the common room. She ran her hand along the table as if looking for dust. She finally plopped down in one the large chairs that was facing the fire. Harry came and sat down in the chair opposite.

"So, Harry, how is being alone?" Hermione asked.

Harry didn't say anything, but looked down at the fire.

"I know you miss me," Hermione said. "I can feel you crying at night."

"I hate you for what you've done to me!" Harry snapped.

"But you can't stop thinking about me. You can't stop wanting me to be near you," Hermione said wryly. "I have to go now, Harry."

"You can't leave me again. I won't let you!"

"But you won't stop me either, will you," she said coyly. Hermione got up from the chair and walked up the staircase. She opened the window.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked from his chair.

"Good bye, Harry."

Hermione flung herself through the window.

"Hermione!" He ran to the window. Harry shone his wand down to the ground, but saw nothing. She had vanished.

Harry went back to his room to salvage what was left of the night for some sleep. He dreamed of Hermione and Ron and Cho.

After another day of wasting away in smoldering depression, Harry decided that he would have to do something about his need for Hermione. He was going to have to set off after her.

This was, of course, easier said than done. It was one thing for a student to skip classes everyday, but for someone to actually leave Hogwarts grounds… It would get him in some serious trouble and probably expelled. He'd already been in enough trouble at Hogwarts as it was.

Harry spent the next few days in quiet solitude in the library looking for ways to get to the Malfoys' estate. As far as he knew, there was no way to get there. Floo powder wouldn't work because they had closed off their house to floo travelers. There was no Portkey going to the Malfoys' and he didn't have a broom anymore. Even if he did, he didn't even know where their house was. Then, one night he had a startling revelation. He rushed out of the library down to the lower levels of Hogwarts castle—down to the kitchen.

The house elves of Hogwarts were still very nice to Harry. They offered him all sort of treats and candies and pastries. He was gracious towards them and they loved giving him things to eat. After eating his fill of sweets, he asked one of them if he could see Dobby.

Of all the people in Hogwarts, who better to ask for help than the ex-house elf of the Malfoys? Dobby must surely be an expert on the Malfoys and Harry was sure he would help get him to their house.

"Hello, Dobby," Harry said when the bat-eared elf appeared.

"Harry Potter! How is Harry Potter?" Dobby exclaimed. "Dobby is so happy to see Harry Potter!"

"Dobby, I need your help."

"Dobby knows what Harry Potter wants. Dobby does not want Harry Potter to go to the old master's house. They did bad things to Dobby. Dobby is scared for Harry Potter."

"I have to get there, Dobby. Will you please help me?" Harry pleaded.

"It will not be easy to get Harry Potter there…. But Dobby wants to help Harry Potter get his friends back." Dobby paused, looking torn. "If Harry Potter wants to get there, he must meet Dobby at the edge of the forest tomorrow night. Dobby can get Harry Potter there. Harry Potter must wait in the darkest dark at the edge of the forest for no one to see. Especially the old master. Dobby has seen him at Hogwarts at night."

"Alright, Dobby, so tomorrow night then. Thank you so much."

"Harry Potter must be careful though. All is not safe at Hogwarts anymore."

Harry waved goodbye to Dobby and the other house elves who were more than happy to stuff his pockets full of Whamo Kablamos, Fizzing Whizzbees, truffles, chocolate frogs, pastries, Foof Goops, cakes and anything they could give him. Harry thanked them most heartily and made his way back to his room.

When he woke up the next morning, he felt great. He felt like today was going to be a really important day. He was going bring Hermione back and make her pay for destroying his life. Even breakfast was better for him, despite receiving the same silent treatment from the students and faculty. He even went to some of his classes.

Later that day during lunch, Harry watched the owls pour in through the open windows in the Great Hall. Students all around him were opening their packages and reading posts from family and friends. Harry was eating his food when from out of nowhere, Hedwig, his owl, landed right in front of him.

"Hedwig?" he said. "Where did you come from? And what is this?"

Harry began removing the post from Hedwig's leg, after which she flew back out the window. The post was from Hermione.

My dear Harry:

You think you can rescue me? Do you think I want to be rescued? Is that what you are planning? Don't be confused, dear boy; you can never have me. Do you understand? You will never have me, but you will love me till the day you die.

Hermione

Harry was seething with anger. His scar wanted to tear itself off his forehead. He could feel his blood boiling. He knew she was right. He did love her, but she would not return his affection. She mocked his anguish. It felt like his whole body was on fire. Looking down at Hermione's letter, he could see that his fingertips were actually burning holes in the paper with green fire. He looked at his fingertips. They appeared to be smoldering ashes, yet he felt no pain. He touched his tongue to them, very quickly at first, but then slowly, he put his whole fingertip on the tip of his tongue. It wasn't hot at all! He wanted to examine this more closely, but the bell signifying that class was ready to start. He looked back down at his fingers and they had returned to normal.

Throughout the course of the day, Harry's mind wandered in and out of focus. He thought of Hermione. He thought of his life before he met her. He thought of their adventures together. He wondered what was happening to him. He began to focus on his hate. He was confused. He didn't understand what was happening to his emotions. He did know this though: he was going to watch her burn.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long delays, but I hope this was worth it. Stick around for big shockers in Chapter Six! 


	6. A Strange Place

Chapter Six: A Strange Place

Harry eventually went back to his room to sit and watch the sun go down. He fell asleep and when he woke the blanket of night had fallen over Hogwarts. He felt the old castle settle in for the night. He knew it was time to go. Harry put on his robes, grabbed his wand and some candy, put on his cloak and disappeared into the darkness.

Getting outside of Hogwarts was no small task. Teachers patrolled the school at all hours of the night. Peeves and Filch's cat also made rounds. Despite being invisible, he still had to be very quiet.

After what seemed to be hours of backtracking and creeping around, he managed to get down to a low enough floor where he could jump out of a window. He landed in the soft grass. His cloak was still on him when he took off toward the edge of the forest. The moon was barely a sliver and cast very little light onto the ground. The only other light was emanating from Hagrid's small cabin. Harry had enjoyed dropping by Hagrid's house so many times before, but he thought it best to avoid it tonight.

Harry peered towards the forest edge. An area that was covered in the shadow of Hagrid's home and eschewed from the moonlight seemed to be what Dobby was talking about. Harry crept towards the shadow. He couldn't see anything. He couldn't even see his own hands right in front of his face.

Harry waited for several minutes. It was cold outside and he could hear the wind blowing through tops of the trees. Harry heard a pop. Dobby suddenly appeared right in front of his face. Dobby's fingertip was glowing and he looked scared and out of breath.

"Harry Potter! You must leave now! It's not safe for Harry Potter here. He's here! He's coming!"

"Who—" Harry was cut off by Dobby.

"Dobby cannot help Harry Potter get back to Hogwarts. Harry Potter must find his own way back!"

Dobby threw several glances side to side. He was scared.

Dobby quickly drew a circle around Harry with his glowing fingertip. Dobby began levitating. He was saying something that Harry didn't understand. The grass that Dobby had touched began to glow. Dobby started to spin around. The circle on the ground began to glow very brightly and looked as though it was lighting everything around him. Harry could see someone coming. He was getting closer. Harry became enveloped in white light. He couldn't see Dobby anymore or the man whom he had just seen. He had to close his eyes because everything was so bright.

When Harry opened his eyes, he was in a very different place. The forest was gone. Hogwarts was gone. This place was completely foreign to him.

Before him was a very large house. Harry counted several floors. It was black with silver trim. It had many irregular towers and there was tall black gate with sharp points surrounding the house. The gate was open.

"No wonder the Malfoys are so proud of their house." Harry muttered to himself.

He grabbed his wand and headed toward the house. The area around him was dry and dusty. It looked like it had not rained for a long time. The plants were brown and the trees had few leaves, even by winter's standards. It was twilight, yet the sky was strangely gray and the sun cast long, unfriendly shadows on the hard ground.

Just as Harry had set foot inside the gate, as if on cue, the front door of the house opened itself. Still cautious, his wand at the ready, Harry moved toward the front door. As he got closer to the door, he could hear something that sounded like music. He got closer. It was classical music. The door was very large and got larger as he got closer. It had four heavy iron hinges and opened down the center. The wood was very thick and hard, but somehow looked old and tired.

Harry peered into the house. It was beautiful. Harry had never seen such an ornate house. Persian rugs decorated the black floors, huge tapestries hung from the walls. There was an enormous double stairway in the middle of the large entrance room. The floor was marble and was covered with delicate patterns. There were hanging lamps of every shape and floor lamps of every size and in every corner. All the mirrors on the walls made the house disorienting. Everything was shiny, from the railing on the stairs, to the hundreds of pictures on the walls. It was very dark colored. Harry could still hear the music, but it didn't sound like it was getting any closer no matter which way Harry went.

"This is definitely the home of a dark wizard," Harry muttered.

Harry felt a bit uneasy and wished Dobby had come with him.

His reflections in the mirrors seemed to be watching his every move. He thought he even saw them whispering to each other.

Harry pressed onward, into what seemed to be the main entry hall. He went into the door on the right. It was a heavy door and had a large silver colored door handle. The door opened into a small room. It was very clean and the shiny black floors and hanging chandelier were a stark contrast to the dull light that came in from the outside. There was a rocking chair in the middle of the room and the walls were lined with many books. Harry moved towards the books.

There were many books, but Harry sensed a theme. _ Dark Arts and their Place in Wizarding Society_, _Developing Dark Arts_, _Training in the Dark Arts_ and there were more. Harry took one off the shelf. It was called _A Guide to the Stars: A Dark Wizard's Perspective_. Harry opened the book and instantly all the walls in the room disappeared, replaced by the night sky. As he turned the pages in the book, different stars would light up corresponding with their description in the book.

"Sirius: the brightest star in the sky. Sirius resides in the…"

Harry's mind shifted to thoughts of his godfather, Sirius Black. Harry had barely a chance to get to know him. What was he doing now? Where was he? Harry had many questions about him.

Harry heaved a sigh and closed the book. All the walls returned to their original state. He put the book back in its place and walked back into the other room. There many other doors that he wanted to explore, but something was calling him to the second floor.

He began to go up the steep stairs. The railing was cold and smooth. When he got to the top, he saw more doors, but in between the doors, he saw a large dark hallway that continued in the same direction as the stairs. All of the photographs were watching him with interest and whispering among themselves hurriedly.

Harry began down the hallway. He pulled out his wand to light his way, but his wand didn't cast any light. But as he went past the hanging oil lamps, they lit themselves. The hallway began to take shape. Large stone snakes ran down the corners of the hallway. There were some pictures on the walls of a little boy and girl playing Exploding Snap. In another one there was a little boy crying because the little girl had pushed him down.

The hallway was very long and it didn't seem like Harry was getting anywhere. But he could feel something pulling him towards the end of the hallway. Just as the light from the main hall completely faded, Harry could see another light far ahead. As he walked toward it, the light appeared to split into two separate lights. As he drew nearer, he could see there were definitely two lights. As he got closer to the lights, the hallway ceiling got higher and floor got wider. The hallway finally opened up into a large room. As he stepped into the room, torches around the perimeter of the wall ignited in a circular formation. In the center of the room was a large stone statue of a cobra, coiled and poised to strike, with its large mouth open and its hood extended. The statue was baring its large fangs that looked to be made of long shafts of ruby. The lights he saw were from two large emerald eyes. They appeared to be reflecting light from somewhere, but Harry couldn't tell from where.

"Welcome, he who seeks the Heir of Gryffindor."

Harry spun around. "Who's there?" Harry yelled.

The room was silent.

"Open your eyes, boy."

Harry spun back around. There was still no one in the room.

"Show yourself!" Harry shouted.

"I already am."

Harry looked at the only other object in the room.

"Yes. That's right. Here I am."

Harry was face to face with the stone snake.


End file.
